Defending Ivy League Champions Meet Friday Night at Harvard Stadium

Pictured: Collier Winters throws a pass in the
Crimson's season-opening game at Holy Cross. Winters threw for 195
yards and two touchdowns while running for 40 against the
Crusaders.
Photo: Gil Talbot

The ParticularsHarvard football, now in its 136th season, plays its first
home game tonight against the Brown Bears in an Ivy League tilt
between the reigning co-Ivy League champions. Kickoff is set for 7
p.m.

Follow At HomeAll Harvard home football games will feature live
streaming audio and video. Fans can visit the Multimedia
page to purchase a single game event or a season pass.
The real-time broadcast includes a television-quality, four-camera
production with play-by-play commentary from longtime radio voice
Bernie Corbett and color commentary from analyst and former QB
great Mike Giardi '94.

The PromotionsKids 12 & under enter free to every home football game
this season. Harvard stadium is an affordable family friendly
venue, so we encourage you to bring your children and their friends
to experience what Crimson football is all about! There is no limit
to the number of children that may accompany an adult.

Friday is "Faculty & Staff Night" at the Stadium. Harvard
Faculty and Staff may receive up to four free tickets with a valid
Harvard ID. Tickets may be reserved prior to the game or picked up
day-of-game by bringing your Harvard ID card.

A student shuttle bus is available Friday nght and will run from
5-7 p.m. from the Quad and Harvard Yard to the Stadium.

Harvard's Last Time OutRanked in every Top 25 poll in the country heading into
last week, the Crimson dropped a close 27-20 decision to then-No.
23 Holy Cross on the road as the Crusaders - preseason favorites to
win the Patriot League - improved to 3-0.

Behind first-year starter Collier Winters, Harvard marched 79
yards on its opening possession capped by a five-yard touchdown
pass to Gino Gordon to take an early 6-0 lead. A game-experienced
Holy Cross team took advantage of several first-game miscues from
the Crimson however, and scored the next 20 points before Gordon
struck again with a two-yard run in the third quarter.

At that point the game was up for grabs as the two teams traded
long touchdown passes before the home side forced a fumble on
Harvard's final drive of the game to finally secure a victory.

Winters was impressive in his first outing, throwing for 195
yards and running for 40 more while Gordon collected 93 total yards
and Chris Lorditch finished with 89 receiving yards.

Brown's Last Time OutLast year in its win against Harvard, Brown capitalized
from a missed extra point. In its opener at Stony Brook on
Saturday, the Bears were victimized by the same thing as the
Seawolves held on for a 21-20 victory over their Ivy League
counterparts. Still, Brown had a chance to win on the last play of
the game, but Drew Plitcha's 40-yard field goal attempt was wide
right as time expired.

It capped a wild finish as Stony Brook rallied in the game's
last minute, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 47 seconds
remaining on a 10 yard scoring pass from Michael Coulter to Donald
Porter, to grab a 21-20 lead.

First year QB Kyle Newhall played well, completing his first 11
passes en route to 29 of 45 for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
Wide receiver Buddy Farnham made 12 catches for 121 yards.

Series HistoryFriday's game will be the 109th meeting between Harvard
and Brown in a rivalry that dates to 1893. Harvard holds a 77-29-2
series lead and has won eight of its last nine against the Bears.

Out Of The GatesHarvard has won its Ivy League opener in nine of the last
10 seasons with eight of the wins coming against Brown and the
other coming against Columbia.

Last Year's MeetingHarvard was stopped inches short of the goal line on a
two-point conversion run with 1:03 left after Harvard had scored a
touchdown to force the dramatic stand as Brown held on for a 24-22
victory in Providence, R.I. last season.

A missed extra point in the first quarter rain forced the
two-point conversion try later on.

Chris Pizzotti '09 started 9-of-10 for 163 yards while Matt Luft
caught four passes for 99 yards in the opening quarter as Harvard
led, 13-0.

The Crimson turned the ball over on two consecutive touches in
the second, however, allowing Brown to take a halftime lead that it
would not relinquish.

Don't Go AnywhereHarvard and Brown games in recent years have been
memorable. Last season, Harvard was cruising with a 13-0 lead
before heavy rains arrived in providence, R.I. and made for a wild
ride as Brown came back to win, 24-22.

It was Harvard that rallied from double-digit first-quarter
deficits to defeat Brown in 2004 and 2005. The Crimson came back
from a 16-0 hole to win, 38-35, in double-overtime in 2005, and
Harvard overcame deficits of 21-0 and 31-10 to prevail, 35-34, in
2004.

In 2006 it was Brown that tried a late comeback. Trailing 21-0
in the second and 31-7 in the fourth, Brown cut the margin to 31-21
before a late TD iced the game for Harvard, 31-21.

In 2007 - in the first night game at Harvard Stadium, Brown led
Harvard, 17-14, before the Crimson scored a touchdown in the final
minute of the first half and added a second half field goal while
holding the Bears to just 49 yards rushing in a 24-17 victory.
Harvard's defense came up with three sacks, three interceptions and
10 quarterback hurries in the victory.

Harvard Coach Tim MurphyIn his 16th season as Harvard's head coach, Tim Murphy
enters Friday's game with a 97-53 record with the Crimson and a
129-98-1 overall head coaching record, which includes five years at
Cincinnati and two years at Maine. Murphy has led Harvard to five
Ivy League championships (1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008). He is 11-3
all-time against Holy Cross.

Brown Coach Phil EstesPhil Estes is in his 12th season as Brown's head coach,
and he brings a 65-44 record with the Bears into the game. Estes
has had the Bears at .500 or better in nine of his first 11 years
in Providence and led Brown to its first outright Ivy League
championship in 2005 and a share of the crown with Harvard last
season. He is 3-8 against Harvard.

Ivy HonorsWide receiver Chris Lorditch and running back Gino Gordon
were named to the Ivy League Honor Roll this week.

Complete Game NotesFor complete games notes in PDF format, click on the link
at the beginning of this page.